12/15/02 - Adv. 3 INI Revelation 2:1-7

In 96 A.D. the apostle John sat in exile on the island of Patmos because of his witness for Christ. The great persecution of the Christian Church had already taken the lives of hundreds of Christians throughout the Roman Empire. Now John received the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

The first revelation of our Lord in chapter one is that of Christ holding seven stars in his right hand and being in the middle of seven golden lampstands. Do you remember the significance of the number "7" in the Book of Revelation, as we discussed last Sunday? -- The number of God (3) in his relation to the world (4). In our text the seven churches of Asia are pictured as seven lampstands. Why? Because they are established by Christ to be lights to the sin-darkened world. "You are the light of the world," Jesus tells His disciples in Matthew 5.

What then are the seven stars held by Jesus in His right hand of power? They represent the "angels" or messengers who preach the Word of the Gospel to the churches in the world. Jesus wants His ministers to be encouraged by the certainty that He holds them safely as they spread His light in the world. He wants us to know that we are held up by His strength, and that we are not our own men, but His chosen servants.

Therefore you, dear friends in Christ, are a golden lampstand, established by your Lord in the faith so that you may shine as beacons of His love and grace to all the world. And I am a star in the hand of my Savior! Spectacular isn't it? But we are not shown these things so that we may boast or become lazy in our callings. Stars fall and lamps go out!

That's why Jesus reminds the church at Ephesus through its messenger that the One writing to them is the One who "holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands." Christ is the great Protector and Overseer of His servants and His churches. We must listen to Him, as He says: "I am glad that you hate what I hate; but your loved has cooled. Repent!"

is first of all a letter of commendation. "You have stood with Me!" Jesus says in vs. 2 and 3. We are thankful that our own congregation has stood with Christ for more than 30 years. But the Ephesian church had stood with Jesus for 55 years. Ephesus was the capitol of the Asian province of the Roman Empire. It was the city of the goddess Diana, whose temple was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The city was full of idolatry and superstition -- a real challenge for a little congregation which began with twelve souls (Acts. 19:7)

Jesus misses nothing about His churches and people. He knows all of our works, our labor, and our patience. He knew, for example, that the church at Ephesus could not bear those who were "evil" (literally "those who were good-for-nothing in the thing in which they ought to be good.") These are not people who are viciously wicked in the congregation; but the cowardly and the extremely lazy members of the congregation. The church at Ephesus was commended because it could not BEAR those who care little or nothing for Christ, the gospel, or the work of the church. They are members in name only, and act as if they are not true disciples of Christ. The church is commended by the Lord for exercising church discipline throughout the years of its existence.

Jesus also commends the Ephesian church because they "had tested those who say they are apostles and are not." When the apostle Paul left Ephesus he warned the Elders of the church that "savage wolves" would enter among them, and try to draw disciples after themselves. (Acts 20:29-30) The church had "tested the spirits" who had come to them, who claimed that God had sent them. They had faithfully compared the Word of their Savior with the teachings of those who called themselves "Apostles," and found them to be "liars."

How easily that little group in Ephesus might have grown tired of the fight, surrounded by so much evil and false teaching. Surely things would have been much easier if they had not removed people from the congregation who despised the Lord and did not love His Word. How much more popular their church would have been if they had accepted the false teachers who came to them from within and without! But Jesus commends these Christians because they had "persevered with patience, and had "labored" for the sake of His name and did "not become tired of it all." To the extent that our own congregation or any Christian church resembles the church at Ephesus in this area, we are also commended by our crucified, risen, and ascended Lord. To Him belongs the glory!

But the letter to the church at Ephesus is also a letter of correction (v. 4). Jesus says: "nevertheless, I have this against you that you have left your first love." The heading of chapter 2 in your pew-Bibles gives a totally wrong slant to Jesus' words, as if the Ephesian congregation was a "loveLESS" church. Not so! Some think the Ephesian Christians were so "hung up" on maintaining pure doctrine that they had become "loveLESS toward others. Some use this passage to say that whenever a Christian church emphasizes faithfulness to the teachings of Christ and His apostles that there will be bickering and strife within the church and a loveless attitude toward those outside the church.

But true love is not found or promoted by relaxing the principles of God's Word in order to "get along" in the world or spare feelings within the congregation. On the contrary, Jesus said, "If a man love Me, he will keep My words." (Jn. 14:15,23, 15:10-14) Love flows from faith and faith is nourished only by the gospel of Christ. Without faithfulness to the word of Christ, true love cannot prosper, any more than apples can grow where there is no tree!

The problem the Lord warns about is not that true love was ABSENT from the church at Ephesus. The trouble was they had forsaken, had left their FIRST love. They were not as zealous for the Lord, as they once had been! They were becoming dulled in their enthusiasm for witnessing; the Lord's Word was not as delightful to them as it was when they first heard the truth of salvation. Sure, they had become an established and doctrinally-sound church. But the Lord knew that the "old fire" was leaving their hearts. They continued to perform the outward works, but their love was beginning to lessen.

So it has happened in many congregations. After 20 or 30 years there is a cooling of the FIRST love. What can be done to remedy the situation? "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works," Jesus says. (V. 5) Remember your former zeal and be sorry for what you are lacking! Return to your first works!"

Then comes the warning: "Or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place -- unless you repent." If any congregation remains impenitent the Lord will suddenly take away its place among His churches. The light of that church will go out entirely, fading with its fading love until there is no light left for itself or for the world! Many are the churches in our day which no longer possess the light of Jesus Christ because they failed to heed the warning of this text.

For the Ephesians there is yet another encouraging word:

All is not lost yet. They still hated the works of the Nicolaitans, which the Lord also hated. These were the false teachings and immoral practices of the sect of the Nicolaitans. There is still hope for us too. There is hope of repentance and a return to our first love, if we still HATE the false teachings and immoral works which our Lord hates in this world.

We have an EAR; We have two of them! The Lord expects us to "hear what the Spirit is saying to the churchES. These are Christ's words to us. But the Holy Spirits wants to use them to work repentance in us -- to turn us again and again to the cross of Him Who loved us. The Holy Spirit wants to return us to the only Fountain from which our first love can spring up again. He wants us to return to Christ's Word of grace and power.

Surely the promise is worth our undivided attention and devotion: "To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the Tree of Life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God." Adam and Eve could not TAKE of the tree of life in their fallen state. God would not permit all mankind to continue forever in a state of bondage to evil. But the Lord Jesus has earned the right to "GIVE" from the Tree of Life in the midst of God's Paradise! He promises to give of this life eternal to EACH ONE who passes through the temptations of this life, retaining his faith and love for Christ. Lord, help us to be the people and the church you want us to be that WE MAY FINALLY OVERCOME and obtain the eternal victory! Amen.